Sap-spout



UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I CHARLES c. Posr, or BURLINGTON, VERMONT.

SAP-SPOUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,059, dated April 1, 1884.

Application filed November 10, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..- M Be it known that I, CHARLES 0. POST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Burlington, in the county of Ohittenden and State 5 of Vermont, have invented certain new and v useful Improvements in Sap-Spouts, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in :o sap-spouts, by which first, the form of the Q flange or shoulder near the upper endof the spoutis so modified as tocrowd the spout more lclosely against the under side of the tap-hole; second, the placing a partition across the hot- 5 tom of the pod of the spout of sufficient height 3 to form a trap to the orifice through which the sap enters the spout; third, the strengthening the exterior portion of the spout by means of i one or more ribs, which extend lengthwise of of the spout; and, fourth, the connection of the 3 fins or bearingportion of the spout by braces;

1 and the objects of my improvements are, first,

to provide an air-tight connection between the flange or shoulder which encircles the spout 5 3 and the opening of the tap-hole,which will not injure the bark of the tree, and will prevent all liability to leakage; second, to exclude the air entirely from the tap-hole, whatever may be the run of the sap; third, to prevent thelower end of the spout from being broken or damaged 1 while the spout is being driven into place;

I and, fourth, to strengthen and stiffen the fins jwhich are inserted into the tap-hole.

. My invention is fully shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figurel is a horiizontal section of my sap*spout embodying my improvements. Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional jviews of ordinary tin or tubular spouts of any material, trapped as suggested.

o A represents the body of a maple tree; B,

- the tap-hole for the insertion of my sap-spout G; D, the flange or shoulder which extends around the spout, and is so formed that as the spout is driven into place at the proper incli- 51nation with the tap-hole the point or edge of I the part d of the flange D first enters the hole.

{B,. and by the pressure of the bevel of the upper side of the flange D it is crowded tightly *downward into the bark, so that by the out oting away of a portion of the lower or vertical fin, 6, near the discharge-orifice f, the flow of the sap directly into the spout is uninterrupted. By this construction the bark of the tree at the bottom of the tap-hole is in no way liable to be fractured or broken, as the flange does not press against or come into contact with the bark at the outer edge of the hole, but between it and the outer layer of the alburnum. At the same" time there is no opportunity for air to enter the tap-hole around the packing of the flange l), and should a blow be given accidentally to the spout'on its under side it would only serve to embed the partcl more tightly into the bark,instead of causing an opening for leakage between the lower part of the flange and the bark, as would be the case if the flange simply pressed against the outside of the bark.

fis the orifice or hole for the discharge of the sap into the spout. For the purpose of effectually, excluding the passage of air into the tap-hole B through this orifice, I place a partition, 9, across the bottomof the pod or trough of the spout, sufficiently high to form a reli able trap by means of the sap. That this may be effectual at all times, and when the flow is but slight, and as it is desirable that the smallest quantity of sap shall be retained in the taphole or spout, on account of its liability. to sour, I locate this orifice at the bottom of the spout, so that the least quantity of sap is required to effectually trap it. This prevents the drying and consequent contraction of the sap pores or ducts, avoids the necessity of reboring or freshening the sap-hole during the sap season-a necessity which exists with all sap-spouts which admit air to the tap-hole and materially increases the flow of the sap during the sugar season. It is apparent that this device can be readily applied to all sapspouts in common use. For example,in Figs. 2 and 3 are represented the ordinary tubular spouts of tin or other material.

In Fig. 2 I close the interior aperture of the spoutat H, and connect the orifice f,which is made in the bottom of the spout, with the tap-hole by means of a depression, h, in the spout, and place the trap g as shown. In Fig. 3 I partially close the aperture at Hof a simi-- lar spout, and leave the orifice f at the bottom of the interior end of the spout, and locate the Io lengthwise of the spout, and enable it to suctrap g as shown. In both instances the spouts are effectually trapped by the least quantity of sap possible. I

It is found by experience that the outer end of the metallic spout is liable to be broken or damaged by the blow frequently required to drive the spout into place. To prevent this I strengthen this portion of the spout by the addition of one or more ribs, i, which extend cessfully resist the force of the blow in the direction given.

That the tap-hole may be free from unnecessary obstruction by the spout, I prefer to make the fins e, which sustain the spout in the taphole, as thin as is possible, and to give them sufficient strength and stiffness I add the braces 0 near their outer extremities.

What I claim as my invention, and desire 20 to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A metallic sap-spout provided with an inclined shoulder, D, upon its top, and the point d upon its lower part, whereby, when the spout is being driven into the hole B, the inclined shoulder D will force the point d downward into the bark, substantially as shown.

2. A sap-spout having its end closed or partially closed, and provided witha trap, g, and the opening f, substantially as described.

3. In a sap-spout, the combination of the trap g, the partially-closed end having the opening f through it, and the fins e, which project into the hole in the tree, substantially as set forth. 7 In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES .0. POST.

Witnesses:

CHARLES E. ALLEN, J AMES 0. KELLEY. 

